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AGO Friday nights deliver Halloween scares, screenings and a Keith Haring-inspired art party this fall

Fall programming highlights include talks by Sarindar Dhaliwal, Rosalie Favell, Fab 5 Freddy, Michael McMillan and Wolfgang Tillmans in addition to Inuit throat singing performances and opening celebrations

TORONTO — AGO Friday nights return this fall with a line up of exciting talks, performances, screenings and art parties, celebrating new exhibitions, great art and artists. AGO Friday Night programming is free with General Admission, which is always free for Indigenous Peoples, AGO Members, Annual Pass holders and visitors aged 25 and under.

“The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of our province’s greatest tourist attractions. It is a world-class cultural institution that provides visitors of all ages the opportunity to immerse themselves in the work of a diverse group of artists,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “I encourage everyone to visit the AGO and experience the exciting events and exhibitions coming this fall.”

Tickets to Art Bash! – The AGO’s can’t miss fundraising party – are on sale now. Select events go on sale to AGO Members first beginning August 22, 2023. All other ticketed programs, talks and screenings are on sale now. AGO Bistro events go on sale August 29, 2023.  AGO Members and Annual Pass holders receive discounts on select ticketed events. For details on how to become a Member or Annual Pass holder, visit AGO.ca/visit.

For a full list of upcoming AGO events and programs at the AGO, visit AGO.ca/events.

2023 FALL PUBLIC PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

AGO Friday Nights
Fridays are for art lovers as the museum stays open until 9 p.m. every week. Enjoy drinks and dinner at AGO Bistro and lounge in Walker Court with our curated music playlist. Dance, dress up and get creative at special Friday night events and parties including:

Talks, Galas, Dinners & Performances
Inspired by a season of great art, the AGO welcomes creatives from around the world for the following talks, performances and celebrations.

  • Beginning Friday, October 6, join us on the First Friday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for Drawing. Drinks. Social., a pre-registered art-making social led by an artist instructor. Gallery admission, sketching supplies and drink is included in registration fee. Tickets on sale now. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/drawing.-drinks.-social.  
  • On Friday, October 13 at 7 p.m., join exhibition curator and the AGO’s Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Julian Cox for a talk exploring the themes of KAWS: Family, the Canadian museum debut of Brooklyn-based artist Brian Donnelly (1974), better known as KAWS. The talk takes place in AGO’s Jackman Hall. Tickets go on sale to AGO Members on August 22, 2023 and to AGO Annual Pass holders and the public on August 23, 2023. For details, visit ago.ca/events/curators-talk-kaws-family.
     
  • On Saturday, October 14 at 2 p.m., join artist Sarindar Dhaliwal, artist and writer Richard Fung and curator Marcie Bronson in a conversation about Dhaliwal’s work moderated by AGO Associate Curator, Canadian Art, Renée van der Avoird. Presented as part of the exhibition Sarindar Dhaliwal: When I grow up I want to be a namer of paint colours, the talk takes place in AGO’s Jackman Hall. Tickets for this talk go on sale to AGO Members on August 22, 2023 and to AGO Annual Pass holders and the public on August 23, 2023. For details, visit ago.ca/events/sarindar-dhaliwal-conversation.
  • On Wednesday, October 18 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., the AGO stays up late to host imagineNATIVE’s Art Crawl Party. An annual citywide tradition celebrating boundary-pushing Indigenous Art, the Art Crawl concludes at the AGO, with a tour of the J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art, and a performance in Walker Court. This event is free. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/imaginenative-art-crawl-party.
     
  • On Friday, October 20 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the AGO welcomes Trinidadian artist, writer and curator Christopher Cozier for a talk in Jackman Hall about his work and the historical and contemporary narratives that shape our understanding of the Caribbean. Presented in partnership with OCADU’s Global Experience Project. This event is free. Tickets on sale soon. For details, visit ago.ca/events/artists-talk-christopher-cozier.

Film screenings
Experience the careers of artists creating work today on screen in AGO’s Jackman Hall: 

ABOUT THE AGO
Located in Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, attracting approximately one million visitors annually. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists to European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. The AGO is committed to being welcoming and accessible: admission is free for anyone under 25 years, and anyone can purchase an annual pass for $35. In 2022, the AGO began the design phase of an expansion project intended to increase exhibition space for the museum’s growing modern and contemporary collection. When construction begins in 2024, it will be the seventh expansion that the AGO has undertaken since it was founded in 1900.  Visit AGO.ca to learn more.

The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts and generous contributions from AGO Members, donors and private-sector partners.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Wendy So; Communications Officer
[email protected]

Andrea-Jo Wilson; Manager, Public Relations
[email protected]

 

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